In summary…
Adam Sweidan, CIO of Aurum Funds Limited, has been recognised in the Financial News Extra Mile list.
His efforts to support environmental protection saw him make the final list of 25 individuals, from 90 nominations, who have been recognised for their achievements in 2016.The list recognises individuals working in the financial services sector, who have used their skills and resources to make a difference in something they are passionate about, which for Adam is nature and environmental conservation.
Adam and his wife, Jessica, set up Synchronicity Earth in 2009, which is a charity that helps to fund high priority conservation projects globally. Funding for the charity comes from direct donations and from the management fees donated by the Aurum Synchronicity Fund – a fund of hedge funds managed by Aurum Fund Management. “In my day job I have to find the best quantitative managers, the best equity market-neutral managers and so on. At Synchronicity Earth I have to find the best person in frog conservation or orangutan habitats. In my business world there is a lot of money and not that many exceptional fund managers; in the environmental world it is the opposite – not much money and a lot of talented people that should have it.” said Adam.
To date, the charity has given away approximately £2 million to 70 organisations working to protect species and ecosystems across five continents and the oceans. It is a fantastic achievement and we should all be thankful because, to quote Adam, “The environment affects everything”.
